Main Street
Kipling Elementary School
May 9th - 13th
First of all HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all of our Kipling Krew that are moms or moms to be. We hope it was a wonderful day for you all.
Rolling...Rolling...Rolling...
We're barreling ahead toward the last few weeks of the school year. This past week was a great Teacher's Appreciation Week. The PTO really went all out this week with their show of gratitude and we are very thankful to them for all they do to support our school. It was a great week to show appreciation for what all of you do but one week is not enough to cover all the good that you do. Keep up the great work and keep the learning going in these last few weeks.
In the next two weeks or so expect to hear about any room moves or changes. In addition, we should expect to hear something shortly from buildings and grounds about submitting summer work orders, painting requests, as well as the call for auction items.
Anthony should be in the building all week but make note that Svetlana will be out on Wednesday morning and all day Friday. Also, we have 5th graders headed to the Art Institute on Thursday and a music concert on Tuesday afternoon.
Habit 3 - Put First Things First
It was a good weekend to think and reflect on this habit with it being Mother's Day weekend. This habit has been as personally impactful to my life than any other. It has also been one that I have had to remind myself not to forget from time to time.
If we use the Covey analogy of the big rocks and the jar and we are allowed to put in four big rocks into the jar that represents our life - how many would you put in for work and/or career?
For me, three out of the four of my big rocks have nothing to do with my career but they have everything to do with my success and happiness. If those other 3 big rocks are solid then the 4th one my career will be more solid as well in my view. I think that Putting First Things First is one of the most important habits for work-life balance.
Which creates another thought. How are we polishing our Big Rocks? What are we putting into them? If they are the most important things, are we filling them with positives and love and nurturing them? This is what will help them stay strong.
In our family we love the movie "Love Actually". Cayce and I first saw it when we were dating and living in Los Angeles back in 2003. It is still something we watch every year around the holidays. As good a movie as it is, it's best parts are probably its opening and ending scenes. In the opening scene, Hugh Grant narrates over video images of real people meeting each other at the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport in London. He says....
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around."
It is the last part that really sticks in my mind about the Twin Towers. I think all of us know that statement is true because we know in the end what really matters is not our negative feelings or attitudes but our feelings towards the ones we love. If that is what matters in the end...shouldn't that be what matters every other moment of our lives?
Shouldn't that be our focus? Shouldn't we put those people first?
I will be the first person to admit that I haven't always done that.. but I am learning to...and learning to Put First Things First.
In The News
It's Going To Be a Great Week for Our Band And Orchestra Students
Kipling Meets It's New Kindergarten Students
16-17 Specials Schedule
The Sutic Family Enjoy The King and I...Et Cetera...Et Cetera...Et Cetera....
Both McConnell Kids Finally Fall Asleep On The Way Home From Iowa....
Save Your Pop Tabs for Room 12
Important Dates
May
05/11 - Orchestra Spring Concert 7pm at SMS
05/12 - Band Spring Concert 7pm at SMS
05/16 - Board of Education Meeting 7:30pm at the district center
05/16 - 5th Grade Boys Adolescence Program 7pm at Kipling School
05/20 - Inspiration Ed Camp
05/23 - 5th Grade Girls Adolescence Program 7pm at Kipling School
05/24 - Kindergarten Art/Music & Graduation Program 6pm at Kipling School
05/30 - No School - Memorial Day
June
6/6 - Board of Education Meeting 7:30pm at the district center
6/8 - Field Day (rescheduled from May 20)
6/10 - Rain Day for Field Day
6/10 - Last Day of School